Families in Flux
As household arrangements take new directions, scientists attempt to sort out the social effects
It’s enough to send chills down Ozzie’s and Harriet’s happily married, two-kids-and-a-backyard, 1950s-sitcom spines.
Skip to content
Social scientists examine the effects of new household arrangements, from single moms to cohabiting
couples and gay parents clockwise from top left: frame: © kuznetcov_konstantin/shutterstock; photo: theboone/istockphoto; frame: © mike.irwin/shutterstock; photo: Gary John Norman/getty images; frame: © kuznetcov_konstantin/shutterstock; photo: Photo_Alto/istockphoto; frame: ElementalImaging/istockphoto; photo: Imagesbybarbara/istockphoto MAKING IT LAST A two-year study surveying thousands of people living in the United States found that couples in formal unions have lower annual breakup rates than couples who do not declare a commitment.